Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 3:14 pm on 19 September 2018.
I'm aware of that particular instance, and I know that you've played a part in supporting the family in their awareness-raising campaign, and I wish them every success in finding a donor for their child. I've visited the Welsh Blood Service and I've seen how the registry works, and it is an amazing feat, actually, to have a worldwide register to potentially find donors in different parts of the world. Now, the challenge is that because of the age range where we want donors to come forward, from 17 to 30, traditional channels aren't always successful. So, they are looking again at social media in particular, and interaction there to encourage people to come forward. The fortunate point is that many people in the younger part of their life are quite altruistic and want to do things. So, there are opportunities to look at that and take it forward. It's not just an issue for us in Wales; it's across the UK and more broadly as well, because we do operate as part of the global registry. I'm happy to look at ways in which the Government can support the Welsh Blood Service to undertake that and to make sure that more and more of us are able to help others.